First contact rule - serve receive

[vbman100]

Please help me with this rule question:

Is it legal to play a served ball with your hands in outdoor/sand vb? I cannot find the clear statement on this in the USAV outdoor rule book. I do not know where to find the FIVB rules regarding this (although I think the USAV manual is the FIVB rules). I never seem to see anyone on TV take the serve with their hands, so I was curious. If anyone has the exact wording of the rule and would post it I would appreciate it. Thanks!

My apologies if this has been covered before. I spend most of my time on the indoor message boards.

[lonewolf]

May 21, 2012 10:17:23 GMT -5 vbman100 said:

Please help me with this rule question:

Is it legal to play a served ball with your hands in outdoor/sand vb? I cannot find the clear statement on this in the USAV outdoor rule book. I do not know where to find the FIVB rules regarding this (although I think the USAV manual is the FIVB rules). I never seem to see anyone on TV take the serve with their hands, so I was curious. If anyone has the exact wording of the rule and would post it I would appreciate it. Thanks!

My apologies if this has been covered before. I spend most of my time on the indoor message boards.

It's legal if you take if perfectly clean (though some people might call it even then). In NCAA adaptation you can use your hands (as long as they are touching and there is no 'finger action'), not sure of the FIVB interpretation on it.

[bryandalik]

It's legal, but yes, it's gotta come out crispy. No hints of spin. I've pulled it off a few times.

[vballer4life]

I thought in beach, serve receive can never be taken with hands open even if it comes out clean they have to be together. You can hand set free balls and hard driven balls but free balls have to have no spin on it if hand setting.

[kro2488]

Yea it has to be a forearm pass or reverse forarm pass "tomahawk", i've nevercseen anyone try an overhead pass but once on the swatch tour and the other team made an uproar after the play.

[gr8ful]

I'm going to go out on a limb here....no one posting on this forum is going to have anything close to the skills to take a served ball with the claws....I believe it is still legal, but it is so ridiculously difficult to do cleanly and legally that it should be called every time...just my two cents.....I have an awesome tomahawk....

[geddyleemarvin]

Whoa, whoa. A player can receive serve overhand. You can play any ball overhand, actually - it just has to come out clean (not held, no double contact and with minimal rotation). It's not against the rules, it's just damn tough to pull off.

Check out section 13.4 of the USAV rule book. If I recall, it doesn't directly address serve receive with open hands/finger action, but it doesn't consider it a fault, either. So it's legal.

[sandyoldguy]

A few months ago this was addressed on VT. This on the beach debate is always present. I also wanted to be sure, the rule had not changed.

GeddyLeeMarvin, is correct, it is legal. Someone also suggested the "Ref's Guide", which also stated, it was legal, but not recommended, as it was generally always called.

Additionally, VBJ, did present a recent rule change, in CBVA Rules, which did specify, it was illegal, to receive serves using an "Open Handed Method".

I did verify everything in that discussion. Hope that is helpful.
( forget the "Thread Title", but you can do a search, for more info)

[gr8ful]

Exactly GLM - it is legal, but to pull it off clean is just a little bit difficult unless its the backyard BBQ game

[vbman100]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have read the rule about finger action and that the ball must not be caught or thrown. So yes, I guess it is legal, I just wondered how officials could determine if it was legal or illegal once played. I've been playing and officiating and coaching for about 15 years, and played sand vb for much of that time, and different people seem to judge that rule differently. Lately, I've been playing with people who constantly complain about others not playing by the rules in certain situations (open hand tips, setting the ball over, net violations, etc.), which I agree with, but never once have questioned someone using their hands to pass the ball. I'm the only one who has ever said anything and said if you want to argue about the rules, then you need to play by all of them, don't you? I'd rather see the rally continue, it is just recreational ball, but I also don't like hearing "those are the rules" in these other situations.

[fischerbeach]

I like the discussion. I agree with most of the posters -- it's RARELY if ever attempted. CBVA and AAU juniors explicitly prohibit it if I'm not mistaken. FIVB and the usa pro-tours don't exclude it so it's judged like any hand-set. Probably stricter in practice.

What most players don't realize is that it's now legal on the FIVB (and therefore probably also on the USA-volleyball-sanctioned tours) to double-contact ANY first ball over the net, provided there's no finger action. Many pros don't even know this. Again, the CBVA has its own older rules and this one isn't in there. So, if you pass a serve off your arms and it ricochets off your hat, it's okay in the olympics, just not in a CBVA.
--David Fischer

[gr8ful]

Wait a second....are you the Dave Fischer of the Volley Trolley fame? A real live pro? If so, I've got a few moon balls for you - how many chicks have you slammed in the volley trolley - and not necessarily counting ones you are in relationships with? Have any chicks ever offered up "services" for a ride on the volley trolley? Did Cuervo give you unlimited supply, errr samples, of there products? Did airstream give you a discount because of AVP status? Do you get special parking permission because of the volley trolley? Can you park in handicap spots? Wow, I have so many more to ask.....